Welcome & Opening Prayer
Good morning church!
I am Russell Clark and I am the senior minister here at Azle Christian Church. We’re so thrilled you all are here with us in worship – both here in the sanctuary and online! May we find the answer to our questions this morning, and may this lead us to ask new questions as we enjoy the great mystery of living a new day!
We like for everyone to know a few things before we begin worship every week.
(1) If you’re a guest today, we’re so happy you’re here! Filling out the attendance registration in your pew helps us connect names with faces and sharing your e-mail helps us to connect you to our weekly newsletter. There are information brochures in your pew to get to know us more and there is information about our weekly activities and calendar in your bulletin.
(2) Second, we love our children here in worship and we always welcome them here. There is a kids corner in the back if your children need a space to move around. There is also a nursery available if you’d like.
(3) Finally, our liturgy is posted each week on the website if you would like to follow along with our service.
Now, may we take a moment to pray as we enter this time of worship.
Loving God – May we see more of who you truly are, Lord, today as we set our hearts towards you. Amen.
May we take a moment before we get started to greet those next to us with a hug or high five.
Opening Songs: Come Christians Join to Sing #90
1 Come, Christians, join to sing
Alleluia, Amen!
Loud praise to Christ our King,
Alleluia, Amen!
Let all, with heart and voice,
before His throne rejoice;
praise is His gracious choice,
Alleluia, Amen!
2 Come, lift your hearts on high,
Alleluia, Amen!
Let praises fill the sky,
Alleluia, Amen!
He is our Guide and Friend,
to us He'll condescend;
His love shall never end,
Alleluia, Amen!
3 Praise yet our Christ again,
Alleluia, Amen!
Life shall not end the strain,
Alleluia, Amen!
On heaven's blissful shore
His goodness we'll adore,
singing forevermore,
"Alleluia, Amen!"
Your Grace is Enough by Chris Tomlin
Great is your faithfulness, oh God
You wrestle with the sinner's heart
You lead us by still waters into mercy
And nothing can keep us apart
So, remember your people
Remember your children
Remember your promise, oh God
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough for me
Great is your love and justice, God
You use the weak to lead the strong
You lead us in the song of your salvation
And all your people sing along
So, remember your people
Remember your children
Remember your promise, oh God
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough for me
Yeah, your grace is enough
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough for me
So, remember your people
Remember your children
Remember your promise, oh God
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough for me
Yeah, your grace is enough
Heaven reaching down to us
Your grace is enough for me
God, I see your grace is enough
I'm covered in your Love
Your grace is enough for me
For me
Litany of Faith – Becky Stults
One: We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to God’s purpose
All: What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
One: Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
All: No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
One: For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,
All: Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Scripture Meditation 1 Timothy 2:4 – Rev. Russell Clark
“God desires for everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
One: This is the word of God for the people of God.
All: Thanks be to God.
We’ll be continuing our sermon series today on Love Wins: Heaven, Hell, & The Fate of Every Person, based on the book by Rob Bell. Last week we talked about the prodigal son story and how that story looks different for the son receiving grace, the father giving grace, and the brother who feels left out.
But the brother has always been with the father in his house. He just had to enjoy what he’s been given. We can be in the presence of God and not know it because we are too stubborn to receive God’s blessings.
God wants us all to be reunited with God and to know of this grace and love. God wants everyone to be saved and to know this truth. Does God get what God wants?
Or are some of us beyond repair? Are some of us never going to be saved and know who God is? How does this story end?
Think about these questions and questions you might have as we get ready to explore them more in our sermon and enter our time of prayer.
Pastoral Prayer
The Lord be with you. And Also with you. Let us pray.
Lord, we lay our burdens at your feet. Take our sin and shame and sorrow because they are too great a burden for us to carry. Thank you for your death on the cross that has released this pain for us so our load may be light and we may become free to live freely in your grace.
For the complicated chaos that surround us, may you bring your enlightenment and hope to bring us to a place of joy and serenity and peace amids the chaos. May we find your blessings all around us, even in the midst of our mess.
May our roles be revived to receive your reconciliation where we are one with your resurrection and our response is to travel a new revitalizing road that removes our roots that weigh us down and ruptures the chains that bind us, where we return to you, seek new relationships in your new region, and rejoice that this radical love gives us rest. We are representatives of this great restoration in Christ Jesus.
Blessed assurance is ours today. We praise you, O Lord, for the new creation you are building in us and in this body of Christ, your church.
Lord, may you bring new meaning to these words and our lives as we pray the prayer Jesus taught us…
Our Father, who art in heaven
Hallowed be thy name
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done
On earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
Forgive us our debts
As we forgive our debtors
And lead us not into temptation
But Deliver us from evil
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
RESPONSIVE HYMN – Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)
Amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now I see
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed
My chains are gone, I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love
Amazing grace
The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures
My chains are gone, I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love
Amazing grace
My chains are gone, I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love
Amazing grace
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbear to shine
But God, who called me here below
Will be forever mine, will be forever mine
You are forever mine
Children’s Moment – Anne Cummings
Installation of New Leaders – Rev. Russell Clark
Leadership Team –
Board Chairperson – Valerie Piercy
Vice Chairperson – Jill Breshears
Treasurer – Rick Seeds
Secretary – Dana Miller
Connections Team Chairperson – Beverly Robinson
Missions Chairperson – Linda Williams
Spiritual Growth Chairperson – Dan Robinson
Resources Chairperson – Sheila Foster
Elder Chair – Chris Piercy
Dan Robinson
Rick Seeds
Becky Stults
Nancy Robbins
Susie Hiles
Dora McDonald
Valerie Piercy
Deacon Chair – Harold Williams
Tyler Harden
Jason McDonald
Gordon Sears
Linda Williams
David Jett
Dana Miller
Lisa Sears
Sheila Foster
Junior Deacons –
Kennedy Clark
Lila Harden
Rose Thomason
Alison Musick
Havynn Woolsey
Trustee Chair – Tyler Harden
Kathy Hufstedler
Chris Piercy
Congregation Response:
One: We give thanks for the time and commitment of these leaders to minister to the various needs of our congregation and community. We seek the Lord’s guidance to show these leaders how we can care for the grieving widow, welcome the prodigal son, reach the lost sheep, and grow as disciples of Jesus Christ in 2024.
All: Lord, may you pour out your Spirit upon these leaders and guide them to be the spark that ignites all of us to be a light unto this world. Then, may we boldly take the steps to be in ministry together this upcoming year. Amen.
Sharing Our Resources
There are many ways to support the ministries of Azle Christian Church. You can give online on our website, on Venmo, use the QR code in your bulletin, or place it in the offering plate as the deacons come by during our anthem. You can also put in a prayer request card or information card in the plate.
Anthem – Good to Me by Audrey Assad
Doxology - Praise God from whom all blessing flow; praise God, all creatures here below; Praise God above, ye heavenly host: Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Offering Prayer – Becky Stults
Series: Love Wins: Heaven, Hell, & The Fate of Every Person
Sermon: Does God Get What God Wants? – Rev. Russell Clark
Holy Communion Meditation & Prayer – Becky Stults
Communion Song – Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing #16
Come Thou fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above
Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it
Mount of Thy redeeming love
Here I raise my Ebenezer
Here by Thy great help I've come
And I hope by Thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God
He to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood
(Precious blood)
Oh, that day when freed from sinning
I shall see Thy lovely face
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I'll sing Thy sovereign grace
Come my Lord, no longer tarry
Take my ransomed soul away
Send Thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless days
Oh, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be
Let Thy goodness like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart, oh take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
Here's my heart
Oh take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
We believe Jesus Christ is the gracious host at this table.
Everyone is welcome to participate in communion. Please pass tray to your neighbor after receiving your communion cups. Please help those who need assistance. Hold cups until instructed by Elder to take in unison.
Holy Communion Words of Institution – Becky Stults
Invitation – If you would like to make your statement of faith or become a member of ACC, you may come forward after the benediction or talk to our minister after worship.
*Announcements & Benediction – Rev. Russ Clark
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
A few announcements for this week before our benediction:
You can find information on the back of your bulletin about our weekly activities, such as Sunday School, our Ukulele Group, our Wednesday dinner and bible study, and our prayer group. In the insert, you will find our calendar to transfer to your personal calendars. We also have a google calendar on our website to add to your personal calendar.
Night to Shine is a unforgettable experience. It’s a prom for special needs persons on Friday, February 9. We are still looking for volunteers for this event. The deadline to sign up to volunteer is February 1.
We are also the drink sponsor for this event and drinks for this event will cost around $300. If you would like to make a love offering, to help the cost of this you may leave a note that says “NTS.”
Next Sunday after worship we will have a lunch after worship to celebrate all of our new members and baptisms from 2023. Everyone is invited & encouraged to attend to welcome our new members to our church family! Everyone is asked to bring an appetizer or finger foods to share.
This Saturday Food Hub is back! Be here at 8am to help distribute food to our community!
And directly after worship is our Disciples Women’s Ministry meeting for any women who would like to join.
Finally, If you or someone you know needs a visit OR has a prayer request OR would like home communion, you may contact the church office or contact me directly.
BENEDICTION –
Will you please rise for the benediction and receive this blessing?
We will be continuing our discussion on heaven, hell, and the fate of every person next week, and I hope to see you all next week, but until then…
May we think about what God’s purpose is, what God wants. May we have the hope that all of God’s children one day find the embrace of God’s loving arms. And may we live out this hope with the people in our lives. May you choose to love with a mother’s unconditional love. May you choose to love like our God loves. Because LOVE WINS. Amen.
*Benediction Response – Weave #495